|
|
In a time when the visual image is such a powerful influence on our attitude and thoughts, it is well to be reminded of the miracle of language. How and when was it invented? How do we explain its richness and variety? By what extraordinary transformation did words which have quite literal and specific meanings take on metaphysical significance? Which expression conveys the most vivid meaning, "the top dog," or its definition, "the person in the most powerful position?"
The metaphor wins every time.
For metaphor is the spice of language. It also activates the reader's or listener's inner eye to produce images which are just as vivid as visual ones. Without its color, wit and concreteness would disappear.
Here is a dictionary and thesaurus of metaphors which is both a practical guide to meaning and a stimulus to enquiry. Only a person in love with words could have compiled it; and there are surprises in it for even the most knowledgeable student of language. Mr. Renton achieves the aim that Sir Philip Sidney saw as the central principle of poetry—to teach by delighting. 
|
|
发表于 2022-10-25 08:57:42
